A knocked-out tooth, a cracked tooth, or a toothache that keeps your child awake can leave any parent searching for help fast. Knowing what to do in the first few minutes, and who to call, may help protect your child’s tooth and ease their pain.
Dr. Michelle Haghpanah, Dr. Reena Grover, and our team at Little Bytes Pediatric Dentistry in Palo Alto offer emergency care as part of our pediatric dental services. Both doctors are board-certified pediatric dentists with privileges at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford and Kaiser Santa Clara.
Whether your child knocked out a tooth on the playground, woke up with a severe toothache, or broke a tooth in a fall, we may be able to see your child the same day. We welcome families from Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Los Altos, and Atherton.
A dental emergency needs care right away to relieve pain, prevent more damage, or save a tooth. Examples include a severe toothache, a knocked-out tooth, a cracked tooth, and a swollen face or gums. If you are unsure, call our office and we can help you decide.
Go to the emergency room or call 911 if your child has trouble breathing or swallowing, spreading facial swelling, bleeding that will not stop, or a possible broken jaw. For most other tooth problems, a dental office is the right place to start, because emergency room doctors can stabilize your child but cannot restore a tooth, drain an abscess, or reimplant a tooth.
Call our office first for problems like these.
Our pediatric dental team treats children every day, with tools and techniques made for kids.
For a toothache on its own, a pediatric dentist is usually the right place to start because we can find the cause and treat it. Our office also has tools, such as dental X-rays, that an emergency room may not have.
Dental emergencies in children take many forms. Here are the most common situations we handle.
A severe toothache in a child is worth investigating promptly. Tooth pain may not go away on its own, and a toothache that suddenly stops can sometimes signal nerve damage rather than improvement. Our doctors can identify the cause and recommend treatment, such as a filling or a pulp treatment.
Chipped teeth are common in active kids, and many can be repaired with tooth-colored composite material, especially when treatment is sought quickly. If you have the broken piece, bring it to the appointment, because it may be reattachable. For larger fractures, pediatric restorative dentistry options such as crowns can restore the tooth.
A dental abscess in a child can develop quickly and needs prompt attention. Signs include swelling of the face or gums, fever, and pain that is persistent and significant. Sometimes a badly infected or damaged tooth needs to be removed, and we consider other options first. If your child is anxious, our safe sedation options may help them stay relaxed.
A knocked-out permanent tooth is one of the most time-sensitive emergencies in dentistry. First, make sure it is a permanent tooth, because baby teeth are generally not put back in. Hold the tooth by the crown, not the root, and if it is dirty, rinse it gently with milk or saline. If you can, place it back in the socket and have your child hold it there. If not, keep it in a small container of milk and call us immediately.
The sooner a tooth is replanted, the better its chances, and the AAPD guidance on avulsed permanent teeth recommends replanting when possible and seeking dental treatment right away.
The most reliable way to reduce dental emergencies is consistent preventive care. Routine exams and cleanings help us spot early decay, weakening teeth, or bite concerns before they become urgent. For children in contact sports, a properly fitted mouthguard adds protection, and a custom-fitted one may fit better than a store-bought option.
Little Bytes Pediatric Dentistry has served Palo Alto families for more than 10 years and holds a 4.9-star Google rating from 357 reviews. Dr. Haghpanah earned her DDS at New York University College of Dentistry and holds a master’s degree from Yale University. We also explain our fees and how we file insurance for fee-for-service patients.
If your child is having a dental emergency, do not wait. We are here to guide you and to get your child seen as quickly as we can. Contact our office to request an urgent appointment.
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